19 Sep 2026 23:31:46
The statistics related to miles covered, sprints etc etc have the club down between 14th and 19th place. It should be clear that the players are not working hard enough.

1.) 20 Sep 2026
20 Sep 2026 07:38:19
It has been clear for some time now, even without stats. And it is wholly unacceptable.

2.) 20 Sep 2026
20 Sep 2026 08:27:25
Morning

I asked AI to assess when I saw those stats yesterday and here is the assessment

Here's how it lines up:
• Amorim raised the fitness baseline
He spent over a year pushing intensity, adding specialist support, and improving conditioning. That work created a higher physical floor than the one he inherited.
• Carrick benefited from that foundation
When he took over in January 2026, the squad was already fitter than it had been 12–14 months earlier. This allowed him to switch to shorter, sharper sessions without having to rebuild basic capacity from scratch.
• The short-term effect was positive
The change in training approach under Carrick is widely credited with helping produce fresher, sharper performances in the second half of 2025/26, contributing to the strong finish and top-four place.
• Continuing the same approach into pre-season appears linked to the current drop
The early 2026/27 numbers (especially the very low rankings for sprints and high-speed runs) are consistent with a loss of high-intensity capacity. While we can't say with absolute certainty that the shorter/sharper pre-season is the only cause, it is a reasonable and well-supported explanation given the pattern.

Amorim built the fitness base → Carrick refined the load for short-term gains → the same lighter approach into the new pre-season has coincided with (and likely contributed to) the intensity drop now visible on the pitch.

3.) 20 Sep 2026
20 Sep 2026 13:58:06
Very good posts and certainly makes sense to what I am seeing. There is a distinct lack of intensity, which leads to sloppy play, such as giving the ball away so cheaply and virtually never picking up the second ball. We appear too often to be on our heels and not on our toes.

I remember Fergi saying the training towards the end of the season does not need to full on and is more about maintaining a good level but we need to get to a good level.

We do have some good players but they are operating at a slower pace than our opponents hence, why we look so poor, especially in defence.

4.) 20 Sep 2026
20 Sep 2026 14:15:39
Good posts.

It is similar to when RR to took over. He said that the players weren't fit enough. It looks exactly the same again!

I thought United would have improved under SJR. Implementing a structure, getting people in with the so called 'know how'. I understand that it will take time, but it is still somewhat amateurish.